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2017 End of Year Post

And just like that 2017 is coming to an end. So many wonderful memories were made this year. It’s amazing how much everyone has changed in one year, just look at our 2016 pictures.

Valentina's Corner 2017 photos

Thank you Jesus for these five blessed. Raising them is hard but so worth it.

Valentina's Corner 2017 photos

Every year, my husband goes on a mission trip around the holidays. He usually leaves right before or after Christmas and doesn’t come home until the second week of January. We have not celebrated the New Year’s together for about 8 years now. That’s hard on our the children and me.

I am super excited though, this year we are going on a mission trip together! We will be going with our youth group to Mexico. What a blessing! I am really looking forward to seeing what God is going to teach each us on a personal level.

However, I have so many mixed emotions. One part of me is super nervous because we are leaving our kiddos behind. The other part, so excited that we will be serving together. Our kiddos will be staying with my family and they are all really looking forward to all the fun things their aunt and cousins have planned for them to do together. Say a prayer for us if we come to mind – we’d really appreciate it!

Valentina's Corner 2017 photos
Valentina's Corner 2017 photos

She is kind of the center of our lives, if you can’t tell.

Valentina's Corner 2017 photos

challenge-

Each year I try to do something out of my comfort zone for spiritual growth. Here are some ideas from previous years.

  • Focusing more on prayer and fasting.
  • Intensive Bible studies.
  • Bible in a year in English. (I’ve read a Russian Bible all my life. I wanted to give up like 10 times and go back to Russian. I got through and am so happy I did. Now I have transitioned to English Bible completely so I can be relatable to those around me.
  • Bible memorization. Write Bible verses and tape them all over my house so I can memorize Scripture.

JOURNALING- I really love journaling when I am reading my Bible and I got inspired for a new challenge this year as I was taking notes. A PRAYER journal. A serious prayer journal where you write out your prayer requests so you don’t forget them. Where you go out of your way to think of prayer requests to add to the prayers build over the year. Where you make time each week for quiet time with God and bring these prayer requests to Him. I am so excited for this new challenge. I purchased a cute journal (purchasing journals is a hobby of mine – yes, that is such a thing). I divided my journal into four sections.

Valentina's Corner Prayer Journal

goals-

  1. SELF- Things I need the Holy Spirit to help me overcome. A place where I am raw and expose my shortcoming and seek God in helping me change. Change is scary and sometimes so hard. Continued prayer and me admitting I need help are so beneficial. Slowly but surely.
  2. FAMILY- This will be the most important section, my husband and children. I printed out my list for my children and added it there (see this POST). Under family, I’d do my immediate family, and their loved ones and the different situations they are going through.
  3. CHURCH- Our local church. The different members that the Holy Spirit puts on our heart to pray for and bless. And the church worldwide. Prayer for the persecuted churches around the world. For the families torn apart because a member would not deny Christ and was persecuted for their faith.
  4. OTHER- Everything else in between.

I am challenging and encouraging you to join me. To share in our comments that you will do this as well and for us to come back to this post and share in our journey throughout the year.

Valentina's Corner 2017 photos

And, a few more pictures from our fall photoshoot.

Valentina's Corner 2017 photos
Valentina's Corner 2017 photos

Enjoy some of these pictures from our end of year photo shoot.

Special shoutout to my sisters Alla and Jess and my niece, Victoria for the beautiful pictures.

Valentina's Corner 2017 photos
Valentina's Corner 2017 photos

Finally, just wanted to say THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts (all seven of us). I am so blessed to do what I do. It’s a dream job for me.

Valentina's Corner 2017 photos
Valentina's Corner 2017 photos
Valentina's Corner 2017 photos

Wishing you and your loved ones MANY blessings in the Upcoming 2018 year!

Fondly,

Timur, Valentina, Benjamin, Joseph, Elizabeth, Nathaniel and Abigail

Valentina's Corner 2017 photos

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12 Comments

  1. My Dear Valentina,
    What a beautiful family,lots of Gods blessings .Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year 2018

  2. What a great idea for the challenge. I LOVE It. Thank you. I’ll join you in that. ?
    Your family is so beautiful. Your kids are a perfect combination of both of you. ?
    Love your blog, Happy New Year.

    1. That’s so wonderful, Olenka! I am looking forward to hearing from you throughout the year and seeing how it goes for you.

  3. Valentina. That’s so exciting that you will be coming to the West Coast. I’d like to invite you to our house if your will be in Portland, OR. We have 2 extra bedrooms and can show you around town.
    Really excited to see what you have planned for 2018.

    1. Thank you for the sweet comment, Olia. You’re too kind. Happy to have you as a part of our online family.

  4. Love when you share your ideas. Thanks for the inspiration to read the Bible in a year. I’m going to try this year.
    If you come to Washington, please know you have a place to stay at our house. I’d be so soooo honored to have your family visit us. ?

    1. Thank you so much, Olya. I’ll keep your e-mail on file for when we’re planning our travels.
      Thanks so much for visiting our online home.

    1. Aaaawww, Kristin. Thank you for the sweet comment and Welcome to our online home. I so enjoy listening to your wisdom at BSF.

  5. Valentina Thank you for inspiration!! I have been reading Russian bible For entire life and attempted to read American couple of times..the wording is not easy to understand but it’s possible! I do bible memorization verses too around house! I wish we went over the topic of how to parent strong will children..
    I Hope moms who have more and older children could relate and share experiences in what ways worked and which ones didn’t.
    Valentina may God bless your family and your ministry!!

    1. Thank you, Alina. I feel the same way as you. It’s my dream as well that we can inspire and encourage each other in life’s journey. Women inspiring and building women up is a wonderful thing.